Former Immokalee High School basketball star Jernell Hughes, 25, is averaging 17.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists for Giants de San Salvador in El Salvador's Liga Mayor. Hughes averaged more than 22 points for Cojute last fall.
Submitted by Jernell Hughes

Jernell Hughes averaged 21 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds for Cojute last fall. Now playing for the Giants de San Salvador in El Salvador's Liga Mayor, Hughes averaged 17 points in the team's first five games.(Photo11: Submitted photo)

Jernell Hughes has always been a natural scorer from his point guard position, but he always knew he could take his game to another level.

The Immokalee High School graduate has taken that game to a new level, and a new country.

Hughes, 25, started his professional basketball career in El Salvador last October. He played for Club de Baloncesto Cojute for the 25-game fall season, averaging 21 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds. After returning to Immokalee for a couple months, he’s back in El Salvador with a new squad in the same league (Liga Superior) and is now the starting point guard for the Giants de San Salvador. He’s averaged 17.4 points through the first six games of the spring season. He torched his former team, Cojute, for 22 points and 8 assists in a 104-94 win Saturday night.

“Through the years, I got tired of hearing that I was a score-first point guard,” Hughes said via a FaceTime interview Friday evening. “I wanted to show everyone I could pass too. I always knew I could pass; I just loved scoring. But I’ve been trying to show I’ve got a good all-around game.”

Hughes played two seasons at Division II Upper Iowa after a stint at Webber International. He took a year off after his collegiate playing career was finished, coming back to Immokalee to be around his family.

“A buddy of mine had a connection in this league and I thought it would be a great opportunity I could keep playing,” he said. “I’m glad I got this chance to show what I can do.”

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Former Immokalee High School basketball star Jernell Hughes, 25, is averaging 17.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists for Giants de San Salvador in El Salvador's Liga Mayor. Hughes averaged more than 22 points for Cojute last fall.
Submitted by Jernell Hughes

Hughes, who was nearly paralyzed playing football as a youngster, hopes to play professional basketball as long as he can, and putting up big numbers in all categories should only help his cause. As a rookie player in the league, he’s making just $1,500 to $2,000 a month, although his housing and food are taken care of. He’d love to graduate to a larger league and play in front of bigger crowds for more money, although he says he loves his new squad.

“My first season, the city (Cojute) I was living in, it was pretty quiet and there wasn’t a lot to do,” he said. “But San Salvador, being the capital city, there’s a lot more going on. The crowds at the games are better, too.”

Immokalee graduate Jernell Hughes is playing his first professional basketball season in El Salvador.(Photo11: Submitted photo)

Hughes is one of three American players on the Giants’ roster, making communication between teammates difficult at times.

“I’ve learned a few Spanish words to help me get by,” Hughes said. “Some of the players speak English, some don’t. Sometimes we can’t really understand each other, but everyone has a great feel for the game, so we’re able to communicate in that way.”

Former Immokalee coach Brien Crowder saw Hughes’ vast potential up close during the point guard’s junior and senior years in high school, Crowder’s first two with the Indians. He knew back then he had a special player.

“He was a scorer and he went full steam ahead all the time, he played so hard,” Crowder recalled. “Without him, I don’t think we’d have been a very good team. When I took the job, having a player like him certainly made my job easier. He’s such an athlete, and he’s a big-time leader on the floor.”

Hughes said Crowder made a big impact on his growth as a basketball player, even though he couldn’t always see it at the time.

“Coach Crowder, that’s my guy right there,” Hughes said. “Whenever I’m back in Immokalee, I always go and see him. He’s meant so much to me. I still remember his first year there (Hughes’ junior year), he was really tough on me. Coming from Tennessee, he brought a different kind of swagger, but you can tell right away he knows what he’s talking about.

"I would always think, ‘Man, this guy hates me’ but I soon figured out he was just trying to make me better, always telling me the right things. I’ll always love him for that.”

Crowder says he wished he could have coached Hughes all four years in high school.

“He was so hard to guard, such a great athlete, so quick,” Crowder said. “Almost like a left-handed Allen Iverson. And when he had his outside shot going for him, watch out. There wasn’t much you could do against him.”

Hughes worked on improving his passing and increasing his assist numbers when he first got to El Salvador. This season, the 6-foot-3 guard says he’d like to become a better rebounder.

“Rebounding is something I know I can do a better job at,” he said. “Coming into this season, I wanted to average a triple-double per game. That’s definitely a way other leagues will notice, if you fill up the stat sheet in a bunch of ways.”

And although he may not be making a ton of money right now, he’s doing something most basketball players dream of – he’s playing professionally.

“He wanted to play professional basketball and he’s doing it,” Crowder said. “He’s getting paid to do something he loves. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

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Former Immokalee High School basketball star Jernell Hughes, 25, is averaging 17.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists for Giants de San Salvador in El Salvador's Liga Mayor. Hughes averaged more than 22 points for Cojute last fall.
Submitted by Jernell Hughes